Cities for All: Innovations for Greater Equitability

March 2016 — Cities are colorful, vibrant and diverse places, but they aren’t always built or developed to include all of its varied residents. Recently, there’s been a movement to make cities more accessible and livable to all. Given the diversity in urban areas, the idea of “cities for all” incorporates a variety of groups and needs: rich and poor; able-bodied and those with physical challenges; the young and old; and different castes and creeds. Developing the infrastructure and appropriate interventions to meet the needs of these diverse groups has the potential to reduce inequality and increase opportunities to those who are more marginalized.

Mainstreaming Gender to create a Surabaya for all

Surabaya, 28 March 2016 — Women are still considered a vulnerable group and prone to social and economic discrimination. The gender mainstreaming strategy by Surabaya’s mayor aims to fill in the gender gap to reduce inequalities between men and women in every sector. Two related programs were launched called Women Friendly City and Women Economic Heroes and both are expected to be able to help make Surabaya an inclusive city. See more.

Mainstreaming gender to create a Surabaya for all

Widya Anggraini, Surabaya Community Manager

Surabaya, 28 March 2016

There are three main driving factors for urbanization in Surabaya: labor wages, work opportunities and family relationships. While men are the dominant migrant group in Surabaya, over time women have also migrated to urban areas due to following a husband or relative. Female migrants usually have lower education levels than men; hence, they are usually lower paid than men. Many of these women end up working as housemaids or factory laborers. Their challenges are different than they are for men. Women have limited access to funding, are prone to human trafficking and subject to domestic violence. Therefore, as part of a city-wide gender mainstreaming effort to overcome gender-related problems, Surabaya launched Women Friendly City and Women Economic Heroes.

Women Friendly City, managed by local government Community Empowerment and Family Planning Agency (Bapemas dan KB), is the realization of a development strategy that was established in the Mid-term Development Planning (RPJMN). The strategy intended to improve quality of life, protect women and children, and create gender equality. According to this, any local policies directed at improving institutional coordination in the development process became focused on services as well as protecting women and empowering them. This program was initiated in 2012 and dedicated units have been provided in which women can make complaints about public services and obtain their rights.

Meanwhile, in terms of the availability of women-friendly infrastructure, the government has started to provide public facilities that enable women to do their activities based on their gender differences and needs. Many of government offices are now equipped with lactation rooms as well as in public spaces. The government also requested shopping center management to provide lactation rooms at malls. Government commitment could also be seen through the budget they prepared for this program: as much as 4.7 billion rupiah for the same year, which is expected to increase in the upcoming years.

Gender mainstreaming in Surabaya is not just driven through the improvement of public services facility but also by encouraging economic independence through a program called Women Economic Heroes (WEH). This program is implemented in cooperation with the private sector as partner to develop women’s SMEs. This program will choose heroes who are able to make changes in the family, business and their environment. The selection process is done through several stages: recruitment, selection, development and idea launching. The winner is entitled to an employment contract for the supply of goods/services. WEH has become a leading program as it enables collaboration between SMEs and the private sector to promote women’s autonomy in the economy.

Surabaya’s commitment towards gender mainstreaming is one of the best among cities in Indonesia. Attention to women is reflected through their programs and budget devoted to increasing women’s welfare. On the one hand, government is support women through appropriate and thoughtful infrastructure to ensure women are able to fully participate in public spaces, and, on the other hand, the government is simultaneously partnering with the economic sector to increase household income and foster women’s economic self confidence. These programs are slowly able to increase public awareness on gender issues happening in various sectors, and it is hoped that this awareness will lead to the creation of safer city for everyone. The main challenge of this program is to change the mindset of government service providers not to discriminate, and to encourage the active participation of women in government programs as part of the key to success. Close.

Bogotá, 25 March 2016 — The displaced Afrodescendant communities that have settled in Bogotá often face the same problems that they tried to escape from in their places of origin: poverty, violence and racial discrimination. Keeping their cultural traditions alive, a complicated challenge in the massive city, is crucial to avoid the social and economic disintegration of these communities. See more.

Jorge Bela, Bogotá Community Manager

Bogotá, 25 March 2016

Armed conflicts and poverty in Colombia have resulted in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Afrodescendants, most of them in the largest cities. Although the latest available census data says that in 2005 there were about 100,000 Afro Colombians in Bogotá, community organizations estimate that currently the number is well above 500,000. 29% of this community was born in Bogotá, while 17% came from the Chocó, on Colombia’s Pacific coast. The remaining 54% comes from other regions, including the Valle del Cauca and the Caribbean regions. Within Bogotá most live in the areas with the most severe socio-economic and segregation problems.

The Afrodescendant community is at a clear social disadvantage in Colombia. Data from the Departamento Nacional de Planeación (DNP, or National Planning Department) suggest that 75% of them receive less than the minimum wage. Their life expectancy is a startling 20 years lower than that of the average population. 85% live in conditions of poverty, without access to basic services, including education. In the Chocó region, only 2% of the students that finish secondary education go on to the university level.

The difficult socioeconomic situation at their regions of origin continues after they arrive in Bogotá. It is very difficult for the newly arrived to break the cycle of poverty. They also often encounter violence, as the neighborhoods where they settle, such as San Cristóbal, Kennedy, Usme, Suba y Rafael Uribe Uribe, are amongst the most dangerous in the city. In addition to common violent crime, there has been a very troubling, recent rise in racially motivated attacks.

Another problem that these communities face is the loss of their cultural identity, which becomes diluted in the intensity of the Colombian capitol. To fight this particular problem, the artist Esperanza Bioho Perea created the Fundación Colombia Negra in 1978. The Foundation’s main goal is to keep alive the cultural traditions of the successive wave of immigrants of African descent. Cultural preservation is seen as a way to empower these communities in the face of the many challenges that they encounter. The Foundation has created the Academia de Danza y Percusión Colombia Negra (Escuela Taller Batata III), which, since it opened its doors in 1983, has had over 1300 students. The school has workshops in youth rhythms, drums, percussion, and African inspired dances. There is also a workshop dedicated exclusively to children.

In addition to its educational programs, the Foundation sponsors a performing musical group, the Grupo Musical Colombia Negra, as well as a dance group, the Compañía Artística Colombiana. It has also launched an initiative to generate awareness of the problems generated by racism, known as Vacuna contra el Racismo (vaccine against racism), and a periodical publication focused on the key problems of the community.

Maintaining their cultural identity as a way of empowering it members is just one step in protecting the Afrodescendant communities in Bogotá. The solution to the serious problems that these communities face, especially poverty and racial discrimination, require vigorous action not only by the private sector, but by the local and national governments as well.Close.

Inclusive urban governance in Chittagong

Chittagong, 24 March 2016 — The Bangladeshi government has launched a large-investment project that aims to improve public services by strengthening administrative capacity, city governments and urban infrastructure, leading to better urban areas and increased opportunities for all.See more.

Inclusive urban governance in Chittagong

Akriti Manandhar, Chittagong Community Manager

Chittagong, 24 March 2016

Bangladesh, with growing population of around 156.6 million in 2013, has been experiencing rapid urbanization since its independence in 1971. In 2012, 29 percent of the total population was urban.

Bangladesh has been struggling to keep pace with the rapid urbanization and develop of its urban infrastructure and services, such as piped water, drainage, sewerage, roads and bridges. This has created serious problems like traffic congestion, pollution, health hazards, and a lowered environmental index. In addition, a number of institutions are involved in the management process of the cities, resulting in overlapping of their functions and lack of coordination. As a result, there has been poor implementation of public services and development projects. This poor urban infrastructure and government functioning has hindered employment opportunities and potential for economic activities. This mostly affects marginalized and lower class people, as they are deprived of the basic services for living, whereas the rich can pay to find other ways to cope with these shortcomings.

Organizations in Chittagong have been implementing small initiatives to make cities more accessible and livable to all. These include creating parklets in roads where small children can have safe spaces in the busy city, and helping poor children financially so that they can enjoy a good day in a park. One of notable initiatives that government of Bangladesh has taken is the "Inclusive City Governance Project." It aims to promote good quality of life, strengthen the administrative capacity of the city governments, improve governance, and create more economic opportunities.

This project was launched by the government in 2014 to deliver better public services in five city corporations, including Chittagong. The Japan International Corporation Agency (Jaica) and public coffers have together provided financial support for this project which is expected to be completed by June 2020. This project aims to improve urban infrastructure consisting of six components: drainage, sanitation, transportation, solid waste management, municipal facilities and water supply system which are not sufficiently developed. This is expected to reduce illegal dumping of waste, traffic congestion, water logging, pollution and other urban problems. As Chittagong is one of the most populated cities in Bangladesh, there are many people living in slums, and even on roads. This project might help to increase their standard of living a bit by giving them a cleaner environment to live in. It was observed that there was unclear responsibility and demarcation between City Corporation and central government, which led to poor implementation of development projects. Thus, after properly considering the limitations and problems, this project also aims to train to improve finance and administrative capacity and consulting services. This intervention hopes to reduce inequality, provide better urban infrastructure that reduces the gap between the rich and poor – all leading to Chittagong city being more accessible and livable to all of its residents.Close.

Feminicity: When women take back the streets

São Paulo, 23 March 2016 — In three cities across Brazil, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia, women took to the streets to post testimonies of what it’s like to live in a country with the fifth highest number of femicide –sex-based hate crimes – in the world. Urb.im talked to one of the organizers to learn how this discussion can reach public spaces, amplifying the debate. See more.

Feminicity: When women take back the streets

Felipe Villela, São Paulo Community Manager

São Paulo, 23 March 2016

On a recent Sunday afternoon, 20 women met at Roosevelt Square in central Sao Paulo with glue cans, paint brushes and posters ready to take back the streets. According to the Violence Map: Women homicides in Brazil, published in 2015 by Flacso – Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences, women are the victims of more than 70% of sexual assaults that get registered through Brazil’s public health system. And, increasingly, women are also the victims of violent crimes, especially among black women. From 2003 and 2013, the rate of homicides for black women in Brazil grew by 54%. Flacso also states that 31% of the murders take place in the streets and 27% in the victims’ houses.

The Feminicity project has launch in an effort to make streets and public spaces safer for women by asking women to paste their stories around the city. The only rules were not to paste over graffiti, on public buildings or inside private property. By the evening, messages like "I hear a lot of things from men, threatening to beat me up. How can a women go through such things?" were all around the streets right around International Women’s Day on March 8. Simultaneously, other women gathered in Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia to do the same thing. The effort showed the solidarity of women in reclaiming spaces that have increasingly become threats to their lives.

This Feminicity action left behind pictures and brief testimonies reminding passersby about the daily troubles women in these cities face all across Brazil, particularly in regards to their movements in the city. Routes women take are often dictated by safety, or lack thereof. Women, said one participant, often have to choose the safer way while “men can choose the shorter one.” Feminicity’s volunteer coordinator, Camila Borges, says that this fear prompted the proposal of a new law, which was presented earlier this year in Sao Paulo’s municipal chamber. The law proposes the right to women to ask a bus driver to stop out of official stops after 10:00 pm. That way she can choose the seemingly safer place to step of the bus.

The Feminicity project went after real testimonies in different places in Brazil precisely to shed a light on issues like these. The mobilization started with a call a year earlier in Atados, a website that connects volunteers, social actions and supporters. The search was for people with writing and photo skills. Afterwards, the voluntaries formed small groups to interview women on streets and social media. Some of those statements were published online, and special pieces went to the posters.

A week after pasting the streets with messages around women’s call for safety, the project ended with a very diverse gathering in Sao Paulo. As Camila Borges says, activities like these promote sorority, a term growing more popular among Brazilian women. "It’s important when a girl sees the other as a friend, as a sister willing to help." Close.

Making Caracas disability-friendly

Caracas, 22 March, 2016 — About six percent of Caracas’ population lives with some kind of disability. Yet the city is challenging for those who are not fully able-bodied, especially when it comes to the state of sidewalks and roads. Caracas Accessible is trying to change that. See more.

Making Caracas disability-friendly

Caracas, 22 March, 2016 — About six percent of Caracas’ population lives with some kind of disability. Yet the city is challenging for those who are not fully able-bodied, especially when it comes to the state of sidewalks and roads. Caracas Accessible is trying to change that.See more.

Making Caracas disability-friendly

Marcela Scarpellini, Caracas Community Manager

Caracas, 22 March, 2016

Understanding cities as cribs for diversity, merging all sorts of people, living in distinct situations, is one of the traits that makes city life interesting. The conditions, which enable the existence and participation of diversity may face challenges when having to fit and satisfy the needs of all citizens.

In Caracas, about six percent of the population lives with some kind of disability, according to the 2011 National Census. Of this six percent, 24,685 people live with musculoskeletal disability, for which necessary measures are required to include this population in society while, at the same time ensuring their legal rights are met. Laws in the matter exist, but none of their mandatory adaptations/modifications have taken place.

Pedro Marrero, founder of Caracas Accessible, argues that our understanding of disability is superficial, when arguing that: “Accessibility is not an end in itself, but rather a means in order to change the current prevailing paradigm around people with disabilities.” He claims that discrimination towards people with disability takes place due to lack of visibility and consequent indifference. This is why the concept of inclusion is important: “Creating accessibility is empowering those who would otherwise be isolated in order to give them an opportunity to be an active part the possibilities offered by society.” Caracas Accessible, therefore, is focused on raising awareness on the issue at a nuclear level.

Considering the deplorable situation of Caracas’ streets and sidewalks, Caracas Accessible came up with the idea of painting small potato sacks and filling them with cement and placed them in the space between the street and the sidewalk – spots where ramps should be placed. The exercise showed that remedies could be that simple, fast and low-cost, while making a very big difference in the lives of people with disabilities.

This organization intends to raise awareness as a first step in order for responses to be inclusive enough and conceived with a broad enough thought spectrum. Caracas Accessible is open to working with everyone in any sector that is willing to pitch in and get involved. They currently have undertaken projects with the Municipality of El Hatillo, in which they are helping design and plan punctual interventions in public spaces that would normally facilitate the displacement of people with disabilities. With the help of that same municipality, they have brought together neighbors in order to discuss laws on the matter, to make the issue public, as well as to listen to other needs people may have in order to find ways of integrating them into the plan. There are several regulations promoting people with some kind of disability to work, but all the practical, logistical needs in order to make them happen are non-existent and costly. Which means that currently only big regional, national budgets could afford to make a significant impact.

So as long as laws are enacted, but no voluntary action is taken to accompany those laws, issues like these will just be about discourse. And this is why the work of Caracas Accessible is needed, since it is trying to raise awareness, not as end in itself, but as a means that will hopefully motivate people to create an adaptive urban, social and conceptual infrastructure needed for inclusion to be a fact rather than hope and fiction.

Making Caracas disability-friendly

Marcela Scarpellini, Caracas Community Manager

Caracas, 31 March, 2016

Understanding cities as cribs for diversity, merging all sorts of people, living in distinct situations, is one of the traits that makes city life interesting. The conditions, which enable the existence and participation of diversity may face challenges when having to fit and satisfy the needs of all citizens.

In Caracas, about six percent of the population lives with some kind of disability, according to the 2011 National Census. Of this six percent, 24,685 people live with musculoskeletal disability, for which necessary measures are required to include this population in society while, at the same time ensuring their legal rights are met. Laws in the matter exist, but none of their mandatory adaptations/modifications have taken place.

Pedro Marrero, founder of Caracas Accessible, argues that our understanding of disability is superficial, when arguing that: “Accessibility is not an end in itself, but rather a means in order to change the current prevailing paradigm around people with disabilities.” He claims that discrimination towards people with disability takes place due to lack of visibility and consequent indifference. This is why the concept of inclusion is important: “Creating accessibility is empowering those who would otherwise be isolated in order to give them an opportunity to be an active part the possibilities offered by society.” Caracas Accessible, therefore, is focused on raising awareness on the issue at a nuclear level.

Considering the deplorable situation of Caracas’ streets and sidewalks, Caracas Accessible came up with the idea of painting small potato sacks and filling them with cement and placed them in the space between the street and the sidewalk – spots where ramps should be placed. The exercise showed that remedies could be that simple, fast and low-cost, while making a very big difference in the lives of people with disabilities.

This organization intends to raise awareness as a first step in order for responses to be inclusive enough and conceived with a broad enough thought spectrum. Caracas Accessible is open to working with everyone in any sector that is willing to pitch in and get involved. They currently have undertaken projects with the Municipality of El Hatillo, in which they are helping design and plan punctual interventions in public spaces that would normally facilitate the displacement of people with disabilities. With the help of that same municipality, they have brought together neighbors in order to discuss laws on the matter, to make the issue public, as well as to listen to other needs people may have in order to find ways of integrating them into the plan. There are several regulations promoting people with some kind of disability to work, but all the practical, logistical needs in order to make them happen are non-existent and costly. Which means that currently only big regional, national budgets could afford to make a significant impact.

So as long as laws are enacted, but no voluntary action is taken to accompany those laws, issues like these will just be about discourse. And this is why the work of Caracas Accessible is needed, since it is trying to raise awareness, not as end in itself, but as a means that will hopefully motivate people to create an adaptive urban, social and conceptual infrastructure needed for inclusion to be a fact rather than hope and fiction.

Cultural preservation for native Jakarta

Surabaya, 21 March 2016 — The Betawis are the original inhabitants of Jakarta whose existence is slowly disappearing. Jakarta is becoming not only the home of Indonesian culture but also of Western culture. The current government has attempted to preserve this ethnic group by issuing local legislation to preserve and revive the culture. See more.

Cultural preservation for native Jakarta

Widya Anggraini, Jakarta Community Manager

Jakarta, 21 March 2016

Betawi is a native ethnic group in Jakarta. They were originally a mixture of different races and tribes brought to Batavia (Jakarta’s old name) as labor in the 17th century. In the 20th century, the first Betawi organization called Perkoempoelan Kaoem Betawi Betawi started in 1923. Betawi are well known for their tradition, music and food and are considered devout muslims. The Betawi population, according to the latest census in 2010, is 2.7 million. Although they used to be a vibrant part of the city, they have slowly moved to the outskirts as immigrants have flooded into Jakarta. Government support to preserve their culture is done by issuing local legislation, including promoting Betawi though tourism.

In order to preserve and promote Betawi culture, the government issued Local Regulation No. 4/2015 on Betawi Cultural Preservation. This regulation shows government concerns and high commitment towards Betawi. There is realization that we need to protect the existence of Jakarta’s native peoples and ensure that they can still carry out their traditions. Betawi is rich in language, music, dance, theater, cuisine and religion – all of which become valuable assets to Indonesia in general.

The regulation consists of 10 chapters and 49 articles that give the government authority to hold activities intended to preserve Betawi customs and traditions. According to the regulation, communities and the public are encouraged to join the effort and actively participate in promoting Betawi culture as part of Indonesian identity. The law also stated that government officers and community leaders in Jakarta are obliged to wear Betawi traditional dress on some occasions, such as Jakarta anniversary and Betawi Holy Day; also, once in a week, government officers must put on Betawi dress during office hours. The law also allows for Betawi people to attach their ornaments in public buildings as well as on gates or monuments that serve as border areas with other region.

Tourism becomes an important part of cultural preservation. Through the law, entertainment places, hotels, restaurants or travel agencies are required to provide a Betawi signature as a souvenir for visitors. In addition, hotel management officials are requested to occasionally display Betawi art and serve Betawi food. By doing this, the tourism sector could encourage the development of craft and food industries in order to improve this group’s economic independence.

Jakarta is often called a miniature representation of Indonesia due to its diversity of inhabitants. Under these circumstances, Jakarta’s native peoples could disappear unless there is a focused intention to preserve what is left. Based on the law, there are 11 cultural aspects of Betawi that need to be protected, preserved and developed: the arts, traditions, language, literature, religion, archeology, history, the museum, textual, literature, and cinema. This regulation is very strategic to protect the original assets of the city of Jakarta and ensure that indigenous culture will not vanish. The challenge lies in the consistency of government to carry out the regulation and the active involvement of the Betawi people in this preservation process.Close.

Cyclist's Pocket Square: Curitiba's new inclusive space

Curitiba, 18 March 2016 — By collaboratively turning an abandoned space in a degraded area into a living area of cultural effervescence, citizens of Curitiba give an example of how to build more accessible and inclusive cities: by getting your hands dirty.See more.

While deep structural changes are still difficult to notice, it is easy to see a transformation in a population that is now more willing to work on their own to build less unequal cities. In Curitiba (fortunately, it seems to be a worldwide trend) this has been translated into the growing occupation of public spaces – and Praça de Bolso do Ciclista (in free translation, Cyclist's Pocket Square) is a good example of this movement's potential.

Praça de Bolso dos Ciclistas is a recreational public space opened in Old Town in September 2014, thanks to citizen initiative. Once considered an inhospitable place, due to the violence and drug trafficking, it is now dear to the population and is experiencing a period of cultural effervescence.

It all started when Bicicletaria Cultural, a support center for cyclists now recognized by the Smart Living Challenge, settled in the area and a group of bicycle activists began to take interested not only in urban mobility, but in sustainability and social impact economy. Noticing the potential of the abandoned corner in front of Bicicletaria Cultural’s headquarters as a possible living space, the group provided a construction project and sought the support of the City Hall with the help of CicloIguaçu, an interface association with the government.

With the endorsement of the state government, which agreed to donate the material that it had in storage and lend machinery and technical support from the municipal administration, it was still necessary to hire labor. Set on using their own hands, the initial team began to schedule group operations on weekends and, within five months, with the support of over 200 volunteers, celebrated the completion of the project.

Today, there seems to be a sense of belonging among Curitiba citizens in regards to the square. There, they started participating in actions such as debates, performances, workshops, and meetings to collect and distribute clothing and food for homeless people, to name a few. To organize the activities, a public schedule was set in place by Bicicletaria, with free access for all, as are all events held at the square – everyone can enjoy the community garden, sit in the seats, admire the graffiti paintings, and contribute to the site’s improvement.

The construction of Praça de Bolso dos Ciclistas revitalized its surroundings, but what is now required is adaptation. In recent times, cultural events have become more scarce due to the noise, and safety issues still exist – creating new ways to understand and to relate to the city is not easy, but it is necessary.

As is said in a movie about the historic construction in the city, "Public spaces are essential for establishing democracy, because people meet each other. They help to dissolve social differences. Of course, they do not end, but are eased. Every regime of racial segregation is based on spatial segregation, above all. If people interact, this type of bias can not be sustained." Thanks to everyone, Curitiba, despite its problems, is now more inclusive. Close.

Solid waste management key to livable cities for all

Nairobi, 17 March 2016 — Sanitation and waste management are becoming critical areas of concern within Nairobi's informal settlements. Because of this, poor people living in informal settlements bear a disproportionate burden of the services failure, negatively impacting their health, productivity and well-being. New solutions, however, are providing an opportunity for more livable cities for all. See more.

Solid waste management key to livable cities for all

Diana Ngaira, Nairobi Community Manager

Nairobi, 17 March 2016

Cities in developing countries are rapidly urbanizing, and the ever-ballooning populations that result are putting increased pressure on municipalities and local administrators to provide adequate social services and associated infrastructure. Nairobi is no stranger to the challenges faced by rapid urbanization, which has resulted in the growth of unplanned and informal settlements. Sanitation and waste management are becoming critical areas of concern in these settlements, with gaps between demand and supply exacerbated by the lack of technical and financial capacity of actors in the sector, low levels of investment and technology, lack of adequate infrastructure and support services, as well as limited participation of the private sector (including informal sector workers in the waste management value chain). Because of this, poor people living in informal settlements bear a disproportionate burden of market failures, negatively impacting their health, productivity and well-being.

Inclusive waste management systems have the power to transform living environments in informal settlements and create sustainable business enterprises. There are a broad range of activities that can be monetized along the entire value chain, including: separation, sorting, transportation, reuse and recycling, and resource recovery.

One organization that has taken advantage of this growing need and turned it into a business opportunity is called City Garbage Recyclers, which evolved from a Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO). The SACCO provides solid waste management services to communities living in Maringo and Jericho in Nairobi.

"We were established in 1994. Initially, we focused on domestic waste, which was mostly organic kitchen waste. We collected it using trolleys on bicycles. After doing this for a while, we realized that we could use some of the waste we collected instead of just disposing it," Chairman Fredrick Maina explains.

City Garbage Recyclers began sorting the waste they collected, retrieving the relatively fresh vegetable material, which they fed to goats and rabbits that they reared. The total ‘real waste’ was then recycled to form compost. This now produces a total of five tons of highly phosphorous manure every month, which is packed into 10 to 50 kilogram sacks for sale. However, the organization faced stiff competition from commercially produced fertilizers, and had to diversify its business.

In 2006, they ventured into the recycling of plastics. They collect plastic material from the community and bought it from waste pickers; this material is crushed, graded and pelletized. They now have the capacity to produce up to 10 tons of sellable plastic every week, which can be moulded into buckets, hangers, pegs, poles and plates. They intend to brand the products to make them more valuable and are working with partners, such as Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology University who have produced a machine to clean collected plastic bags.

The organization also provides training on solid waste management to schools as well as their peers. With access to financial and technical support, Mr. Maina hopes to explore the production of gas from their compost initiative, commercialize their briquette-making business, and market their compost products. Support for businesses such as these will play a big role in managing waste in informal settlements, and providing vulnerable people with alternative livelihoods.

Peter Murigi is an Urban WASH Specialist with Practical Action. The organization has worked with entrepreneurs and small companies like City Garbage Recyclers to build their capacity and give them access to appropriate technology that will help them build and grow their businesses. He believes that with the right technical support, informal sector workers can play an increasingly important role in managing solid waste within municipalities.

"There is a lack of adequate policy frameworks to integrate informal sector workers in the waste management value chain. It is important for organizations such as ours to work closely with informal sector workers, as well as policymakers, to advocate for the inclusion and recognition of small businesses and individuals in the waste management value chain," he explains.

According to Murigi, it is critical to create and implement legislation that will allow informal workers to be recognized and licensed in order to formalize engagement between them and the local administration. This will enable a more structured approach to waste management, allowing these workers to incorporate safety and technology into their work, and open up livelihood options to more people where everybody wins.Close.

A holistic approach to empower Mumbai’s most isolated

Mumbai, 16 March 2016 — Skewed intra urban development leads to the creation of enclaves of urban poverty. Out of the 24 administrative wards, M-East is Mumbai’s poorest and lowest ranked on the human development index. Apnalaya has been working in the community for the last 43 years to empower the residents of this marginalized neighborhood to fight for better access to services and human rights. See more.

A holistic approach to empower Mumbai’s most isolated

Ashali Bhandari, Mumbai Community Manager

Mumbai, 16 March 2016

The geographic dispersion of growth within the fabric of a city is most apparent in the character of its neighborhoods. Rarely is urban growth so ubiquitous that service provision, economic opportunity, and human rights indices are uniform throughout the city. However, the isolation of Mumbai’s M-East Ward is so stark that it has presented a new challenge to the city. Infamously known for a large fire which caused a plume that could be seen from space, the ward has a ranking of 0.2 on the Human Development Index and an unemployment rate of 52 percent.

Until recent infrastructure developments—including the construction of an intercity expressway, which now passes through the ward—the area had been geographically disconnected, resulting in poor economic opportunities for its residents. It is home to the site of the largest and the oldest dumping ground in Mumbai, which has recently been closed due to high methane levels, and which was the main source of income for many residents living in this area. The geographic and economic isolation of the ward were compounded when the municipal corporation selected the area to be the main site for Mumbai’s resettlement projects. "The unwanted people of Mumbai... they get displaced and put here," says Tata Institute of Social Sciences Professor S. Parasuraman. The ward has an estimated population of 150,000 to 200,000 resettled new residents, mainly those evicted from slums.

The trickle down effects of poor economic opportunities and lack of connectivity to the rest of the bustling metropolis are epitomized in its poor human development indices. With an average life expectancy of thirty-nine years, M East lags behind the rest of Mumbai by twenty-eight years, and behind Sierra Leone, the country with the lowest life expectancy in the world, by seven. The provision of basic amenities is extremely sparse, with 66,881 people per health dispensary, and 87 people per toilet block.

In an on-going attempt to alleviate the economic and social marginalization of the residents of M-East Ward, Apnalaya has been working within the community. Their work has spanned the last forty-three years. The NGO has embraced a holistic approach on tackling destitution along the framework of three themes: Gender and Livelihoods, Health and Disability, and Education and Citizenship. Their approach works to empower residents from the community to help solve their own problems and negotiate the services and rights they deserve as contributing citizens to the city. Their strength lies in their approach where they recognize the causational relationships between health, education, gender, and livelihood. They have employed creative means like storytelling and drama to help young women recognize the importance of education and self-sustenance. Moreover, they have one of the only community-based disability programs in the city, which raises awareness about and economically empowers disabled citizens in the community. Lastly, also help residents access government schemes and educate citizens on the importance of civic action.

With a reach of over 5,000 beneficiaries, Apnalaya is currently working with residents of the community to fight new rounds of demolitions occurring in the ward due to the aftermath of the January 2016 fire. Though there is much work to be done, hopefully their integrated approach will bring the residents of M-East Ward better living conditions on par with their city at large. Close.

Cairo works to integrate marginalized communities

Cairo, 15 March 2016 — Cairo is a very cosmopolitan city, and to feel like an outcast in this massive city is a negative experience for anyone. Several NGOs have launched initiatives to help integrate marginalized sections of the community and create a more open and welcoming society. New Horizon Association for Social Development has taken the lead in this effort. See more.

Shaima Abulhajj, Cairo Community Manager

Cairo, 15 March 2016

Recently, power brokers worked to lend a hand in order to solve the situation of some of the marginalized people in Egypt who are usually lacking education, suffering from disabilities, and missing vital work skills. Several projects were developed to help eliminate poverty and enhance the people’s standard of living within the city. Among those initiatives is Tadamun, the Cairo Urban Solidarity Initiative, which is considered an urban planning think tank that provides programs aimed at achieving justice in city planning. They also play an integral role in some major UN-funded projects, such as the Strategic Urban Development Plan for Greater Cairo Region, which is managed and supported by UN Habitat.

However, the local, need-driven initiatives have been always more successful and realistic. These initiatives are led by New Horizon Association for Social Development (NHASD). The mission of the association is to empower the poor and most neglected communities such as people with special needs, by advancing sustainable community-based development, giving the poor equal rights to participate in shaping their political destinies, facilitating economic and social environments, and helping them to exercise their right to a sustainable livelihood. To do so, the NGO adopts multi-dimensional strategies, aimed at promoting sustainable development based on a rights-based approach toward development projects, a participatory approach towards developing and implementing projects in target communities, and a need-based approach towards community and target group needs. The association is collaborating with governmental bodies, international/regional agencies and local NGOs to fulfill its goals. Moreover, NHASD provides individuals, communities and organizations with capacity building on different levels, as NHASD, with its participants, adopts capacity-building programs that support the targeted groups to achieve higher work qualifications for more integration into the community.

Through its work, NHASD manages several programmes, including agricultural, civic education, environment, and socio-economic programs. The beneficiaries are very diverse, including disabled and marginalized poor women. For example, NHASD recently launched a project called, “Generating social behavioral change within communities through a rights-based approach in combating violence against women,” which aims to alleviate poverty and reduces violence against women in informal areas. Another distinctive programme was empowering youths in Old Cairo and Dar al Salam, which are highly populated underdeveloped informal areas, so the beneficiaries can participate more fully in civil society.

The program participants are people with special needs and minority group youths. During the program, they undergo a comprehensive civic education curriculum as a first step. Over 900 youth in 30 groups have attended these educational classes. The program has proven successful, as demonstrated by the participants who went on to conduct and participate in more activities in their communities. Eventually, the youth submitted proposals of their own design for small-scale development and advocacy projects that address problems related to the issues covered in the curriculum, such as health services for people in acute need.

It is vital for cities to encourage such initiatives so that people from all community categories can feel as though they are active citizens in a just and open city. Close.

Building the Public City: Public space and public engagement practices in Johannesburg’s inner city

Johannesburg, 14 March 2016 — As Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) infrastructure – the "Corridors of Freedom" – continues to be rolled out across Johannesburg, plans are underway for existing proximate social facilities to be supported by new developments to form neighbourhood "social clusters," which can potentially serve communities in ways that the BRT itself cannot. Critical, then, is the level of local engagement, inclusion, and ownership that these local developments build. See more.

Building the Public City: Public space and public engagement practices in Johannesburg’s inner city

Tariq Toffa, Johannesburg Community Manager, and Costanza La Mantia

Johannesburg, 14 March 2016

Inner-city Johannesburg’s regeneration is a well-stated priority for the current administration. While private-led evictions have intensified since the City’s regeneration strategy was launched ten years ago, it is also trying to counter-act gentrification with a series of programmes and projects targeting both the provision of better public spaces and services, and a series of activities aimed at building a stronger sense of citizenship. We spoke to Jennifer van den Bussche from Sticky Situations, who is working on a series of these projects.

What projects are you workingon lately in the inner city?

Our team is currently working with Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) on a project focusing on a public park in Hillbrow in inner-city Johannesburg, experimenting more creativelywith processes of stakeholder engagement. The project is trying to engage all interested and impacted parties, big or small - Ward Councilorsand Ward Committees, local NGOs, residents, businesses, park users (including people who sleep in the park), schools, interested individuals and groups, cleaners, cooperatives, Community Policing Forums (CPFs), street patrollers, government departments and its employees, while learning from other nearby neighborhood approaches and from Wits University students as well.

Do you think these are signs of a more inclusive approach to inner city regeneration?

To me, this project represents a sizeable government department thinking and experimenting outside of currently practiced participatory processes, while complimentingits existing methodologies. Our goal is to get more people interested – to build a relationship between the neighborhood and JCPZ and to see if all groups can work more closely together in public spaces. Adoption of these as more long-term methodologies by JCPZ, as well as how they could compliment rather than hindering responsibilities of JCPZ officials and staff, are yet to be clarified and explored in more depth.

Do you think these kinds of activities can impact on social fragmentation and inequality, or offer opportunities to marginalized groups?

I believe they can, but it is hard to measure. We have seen that there is a clear need for interactive play for children, stimulating activities for the youth, for parents to have a breather from their kids and at the same time know that they are in a safe environment, and to take the issues of safety into all of our hands. We are currently engaging the local CPFs and Street Patrollers in both Jeppestown and Hillbrow neighbourhoods, who are supported by the South African Police Service (SAPS).

However, no process is perfect. We are, for example, noting a lack of people from other African countries venturing into the Park during our activations, which could be a sign of broader social concerns that we do not understand sufficiently, or that we are not reaching out wide enough.

Do you believe active public space can help build citizenship?

Of course, but it needs to be an equal public space and in Johannesburg there aren’t many. The Durban Waterfront for examplefeels to me like one of the more inclusive spaces in South Africa. Spaces that exclude one or another group of people (e.g. differences in incomes, drivers/walkers, language groups, safety typologies, etc.) are disruptive toa senseof citizenship. However, making a public space that is 'everything to everyone' is quite possibly an impossible task.Close.

Cali, 11 March 2016 — The indigenous population in Cali faces poverty, social exclusion, and dilution of their ancestral cultural heritage, including their languages. The annual Inti Raymi Festival provides an opportunity to strengthen their identities, to garner recognition for the city, and to generate additional income through their handcrafts. See more.

Jorge Bela, Cali Community Manager

Cali, 11 March 2016

Currently about 22,000 indigenous people live in the Valle del cacao region, of which about 10,000 live in Cali. They amount to about 0,5% of the population, far less than the much larger community of Afro Colombians (26%).The indigenous people that lived in the area before the arrival of the Europeans, including the Gorrones, Quimbaya and Buga tribes, were forcibly relocated or assimilated through the centuries. Thus, the majority of the current indigenous inhabitants of Cali have relocated to urban centers in relatively recent times.

A recent report published by Cali’s Secretaría de Cultura with support from the Corporación Nasayach suggests that 27.8% of these communities moved to Cali because of escaping armed conflicts, 19.3% did so out of personal reasons (such as to seek education or medical treatment), while 37% did so out of economic necessity. Life in the city has not been easy for these communities, as illustrated by the fact that 60% of its member earn less than a monthly minimum wage (about 202 $US), while only 31% manage to earn what amounts to a full monthly minimum wage. Four per cent have no income at all.

But hardship does not end with economic difficulty, as these communities face a real risk of losing their identity and their cultural traditions. According to the Lenguas nativas con familias de cabildos residentes en contextos de ciudad report, which was written by William Sánchez, 100% of the Yacona, 84% of the Nasa, and 92% of the Misak or Gambians currently speak only Spanish. 98% of the Quechua and 72% of the Inga still speak in their ancestral languages.

The celebration of the annual Inti Raymi festival is geared towards promoting and supporting the cultural heritage of Cali’s indigenous population. The festival is of pre-Columbian origin and is focused on honoring sun deities. It’s held in the summers solstice (as Colombia is in the northern hemisphere) and was the main annual celebration in the Inca world. Although many of the indigenous people that now live in Colombia are not of Inca origin, this celebration was chosen as a unifying force for all of them.

During the Inti Raymi, the Inga, Koran, Quechua, Nasa, Yanaconas, and Misak peoples become for two days the focus of public life in Cali. The festivities in 2015 included a handicraft market, where the process of hand making of textiles, clay, and ceramics could be observed, and final products purchased. Traditional dancing and music shows were also featured. This festival therefore serves a dual purpose: to strengthen the cultural identity of the indigenous populations, and, at the same time, to provide a venue for the sale and promotion of their traditional handicrafts thereby generating a positive economic impact on the communities seeking to not only survive, but to thrive.Close.

Mobile app Safetipin bets on big data to push for women’s safety

Delhi, 10 March 2016 — In Delhi, parents insist that their daughters return home before sunset. Fear of sexual abuse is very real in this city. In a 2010 survey by NGO Jagori, nearly two out of three women reported facing sexual harassment between 2-5 times in the past year; and three out of five women reported that they were sexually harassed not just after dark but in the daytime as well. Verbal, visual, and physical forms of abuse, including rape, are not uncommon in Delhi. See more.

Mobile app Safetipin bets on big data to push for women’s safety

Mukta Naik, Delhi Community Manager

Delhi, 10 March 2016

In Delhi, parents insist that their daughters return home before sunset. Fear of sexual abuse is very real in this city. In a 2010 survey by NGO Jagori, nearly two out of three women reported facing sexual harassment between 2-5 times in the past year; and three out of five women reported that they were sexually harassed not just after dark but in the daytime as well. Verbal, visual, and physical forms of abuse, including rape, are not uncommon in Delhi.

The words 'accessibility' and 'livability,' therefore, mean nothing to Delhi’s women unless they feel safe. Women’s groups and NGOs have, for many years, worked to support the government through interventions like gender sensitization training for the police and support to communities and victims in reporting sexual crimes. The focus had been firmly on policing, but there was another critical aspect that needed urgent attention.

The Jagori survey pointed out, vitally, that while the burden of staying safe fell almost entirely on women, resulting in restrictions upon their behavior and movement, the major causes for lack of safety are "poor infrastructure (including poor or absent streetlights), unusable pavements, lack of public toilets, and open usage of drugs and alcohol." Intervening to improve urban infrastructure emerged as a clear imperative; one that was taken up by researcher and Jagori Executive Committee member Kalpana Viswanath in partnership with entrepreneur and technology expert Ashish Basu. Together, they created Safetipin , a map-based mobile phone app that crowd sources data from users and trained auditors to enable cities to become safer. Input from users about what they see or feel are quantified through specific indicators like lighting, visibility, people density, security, transportation, existence of walk paths, and gender diversity and coalesce into safety auditsand safety scores for hundred of ‘pins’ or locations across the city.

For a woman in Delhi, the app provides critical information about the safety of particular locations with red, orange, and green pins on the map clearly highlighting levels of danger. "The Safety Score is useful for anyone stepping out for a meal at night, visiting a new city or renting a place to stay," says co-founder Kalpana Viswanath. "It can help all of us, specially women, make better choices and be better prepared."

In addition to providing safety information, Safetipin is visualized as a means to gather big data that will inform urban stakeholders like the police, urban planning departments, and policymakers in their endeavors to improve safety conditions. "Equally, Safetpin is intended to support communities to make demands on the State for improved, accessible, and inclusive public spaces," Kalpana adds. For example, a pilot test across 8 Indian cities shows that feeling safe was most highly correlated with the presence of people and gender diversity in public spaces followed by lighting and visibility. In comparison, the presence of security arrangements did not correlate as much with women feeling safe.

Already, Safetipin data has been used to suggest improvements in last mile connectivity of the Delhi Metro and to highlight gaps in infrastructure and services in Delhi’s historic core Shahjahabad, among other projects. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Public Works Department are leveraging this data to improve lighting in different parts of the city. Going forward, continuous and large-scale collection of data through crowd-sourced safety audits will be able to closely inform planning and design towards safer cities.

In a country where the availability of reliable granular data is often the stumbling block for better planning, Safetipin’s open access data platform can be a powerful tool to re-imagine our cities and make them safer, especially for women. Encouragingly, a number of stakeholders expressed willingness to engage creatively and collaboratively with the data at a workshop organised by the Safetipin titled ‘Using Data to Build Safer Cities’ in February 2016. Given the current policy emphasis on smart cities and use of big data, Safetipin could well be the right solution at the right time. Close.

"Improvement without Barriers": An innovative program for the disabled poor

Medellin, 9 March 2016 — The program "Improvement without Barriers" aims to improve the quality of life of the disabled poor and their families. The idea is to intervene in their houses in order to adapt the spaces to the specific needs of the beneficiaries. This innovative program was among the five finalist initiatives at the World Habitat Awards 2015. See more.

"Improvement without Barriers": An innovative program for the disabled poor

Lou D'Angelo, Medellin Community Manager

Medellin, 9 March 2016

In UN reports, Medellin still tops the list of “unequal cities,” notably in terms of income inequality. Conscious of this challenge, the city has developed many programs aimed at reducing inequality—not only reducing the income gap, but also improving social equality and integrating minority or marginalized groups (women, the disabled, the elderly, etc.). The city, therefore, wants to include all of its varied residents, and has implemented many programs to meet the needs of those diverse groups.

One program notably aims at making the city more livable for the disabled poor. Called "Improvement without Barriers", it is developed by ISVIMED, the Institution for Social housing and Habitat of the city.

It started from a simple observation: one hardly sees disabled people in the city, while ISVIMED estimates that 12% of Medellin’s population suffers from some kind of disability. Many disabled people indeed depend on others to move, and therefore stay at home, where life is not always easy either: in poor areas, they live in small houses that are not adapted to their disability. In most cases, they cannot use their bathroom alone, which has various impacts. First, the disabled person lacks autonomy and privacy, effecting his or her self-esteem, self-confidence, and sense of dignity. In poor areas, caretakers are, in most cases, family members, who sometimes have to spend most of their time with the disabled person, and therefore cannot work; thus, it also has an economic impact on the whole household.

ISVIMED, therefore, designed this program which focuses on adapting the house of the disabled poor in order to meet their needs. Some simple work, such as restructuring bathrooms, installing support bars, or other one-off interventions are sometimes enough for the beneficiary to gain independence, and their families can then spend more time in social or productive activities. One of ISVIMED’s requirement is indeed that the beneficiary earns no more than two minimum wages, which implies that they live in precarious conditions. The time that the caretaker gains is therefore very valuable.

The program is entirely financed by the city of Medellin through ISVIMED, and the low cost of each intervention enables the program to reach a relatively high number of houses for a limited budget (US$1.3m). Between 2013 and 2015, the program intervened in 1,450 houses in Medellin, in various neighborhoods of the city, such as Versalles, Picachito, Popular, Las Independencias, and Belén. As mentioned above, the program was among the five finalist initiatives at the World Habitat Awards, an award commissioned by the Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF) and UN-Habitat, as it enables the disabled poor to get an adequate housing and improve their quality of life.

The main difficulty that the program met was the lack of reliable data on disabled in Medellin, explained ISVIMED in its presentation for the World Habitat Awards. As they could not identify potential beneficiaries themselves, they promoted the program through the media, and pushed people to present themselves. As a consequence, the program probably benefited to the most connected and integrated, while the elderly, those who do not have a TV and who are poorly connected to the city life, all in all, the most isolated (and the most in-need), could hardly be reached.

Interestingly enough, we can note that "Improvement without Barriers" is one of the very few individual-based (and not area-based) programs of ISVIMED: "The program is unique as it focuses on people’s necessities, and not on a sector’s necessities," as it is claimed in the presentation for the World Habitat Awards. However, the combination of many policies is needed to help all the disabled poor. "Improvement without Barriers" indeed only targets people who own their house, already have access to water and sewage services, and live in an area that is not considered "a high risk zone," as these are requirements to apply to the program. Just the last requirement alone is already very restrictive, as 35,000 houses are situated in "high risk zones" in Medellin, notably because the poor have settled in the hillsides, which are subject to landslides. Thus, the most excluded and marginalized first need other types of policies, such as risk mitigation, land regularization and access to basic services, which are more complex and slower to implement. Close.

Social housing preserves indigenous traditions

Mexico City, 8 March 2016 — Indigenous migrants of Mexico City who lack services and empathy for their traditions and culture, received (from the government) social housing with "Temazcal" infrastructure included, in an attempt to preserve their traditions. See more.

Social housing preserves indigenous traditions

María Fernanda Carvallo, Mexico City Community Manager

Mexico City, 8 March 2016

According to the mission of the INVI (Housing Institute of the Federal District), "it is an agency of the local administration of Mexico City, created to meet the housing needs of the resident population in the Federal District, mainly the low-income population (vulnerable and at-risk), by granting credit to worthy social interest and sustainable housing. Its purpose is to contribute to the realization of the basic human right of affordable housing.” The credits are awarded by people according to the amount of wages that the solicitants received and are granted for the purchase of a new home or for improving the house where people already live.

One of the most vulnerable groups in Mexico City is the urban Indigenous, who have migrated from indigenous areas seeking economic opportunities. However, the monetized dynamic of services in the city neglects their identity and cultural practices due to the fact that the economic activities in the city differ from the traditions and organizational activities in their communities of origin. According to the Urban Indian diagnosis of CDI (National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples), vulnerability of the Indigenous relates to the shortage of public services preserving their roots and cultural identity. Moreover, settlement patterns of these indigenous groups develop on the outskirts of the city, where the land has a high risk of flooding or landslides and is not suitable for housing developments.

Therefore, since 2013, the INVI has supported the construction of eleven social housing developments for indigenous groups in the delegations of Venustiano Carranza, Cuauhtemoc, Coyoacán, Miguel Hidalgo, and Iztacalco. This project has has benefited 869 urban Indigenous that have moved to live in these new apartments. In order to support this action, the INVI and CDI through its delegation in Mexico City signed a Coordination Agreement for Supportive Housing for Urban Indigenous, in which INVI is committed to providing access to housing programs in accordance with their needs, economic opportunities and cultural specificity, giving priority to those living in high-risk areas.

From this agreement, in January 2016, the Head of Government Miguel Angel Mancera officially delivered social houses built by the INVI to an Otomi ethnic group in Mexico City. The apartments were built with sustainable housing technologies, such as rooftop solar water heaters, water and electricity savings disposals, uptake and rain treatment, soak pits, eco-concrete in parking lots, and larger windows for harnessing daylight. All this seeks savings in housing services.

Regarding the cultural integration in this housing development, at the top of the building a Temazcal space has been constructed. Temazcal means "house of steam" in Nahuatl; it is a therapeutic practice of ancestral origin. It’s a community custom steam bathing inside a hemispheric cubicle made with volcanic rocks that are heated with burning wood at high temperatures. Medicinal plants are introduced at the interior and water is constantly poured inside the cubicle. The Temazcal is an established practice among indigenous groups, because it represents a traditionally effective strategy for health and purification.

These actions are examples of the Government of Mexico City providing services to vulnerable groups where culturalism is the cornerstone of the ancient traditions that migrate, along with the people themselves, to the city, and are essential to forging new connections in today’s society while preserving their cultural identities. Close.

Fixing the toilets: One step toward the "city for all"

Ho Chi Minh City, 7 March 2016 — Besides the emotional challenges and the social biases, people with disabilities (PWDs) most often find inaccessibility to public infrastructure one of the biggest barriers to community cohesion. Among organizations working to erase this barrier, there is one issue that has helped to unify their efforts: public toilets. See more.

Fixing the toilets: One step toward the "city for all"

Tam Nguyen, Ho Chi Minh City Community Manager

Ho Chi Minh City, 7 March 2016

Official Vietnamese television, VTV, recently did a brief survey on the challenges preventing people with disabilities (PWDs) from having a higher quality of life within the community. Among the biggest challenges, such as personal emotion, education, job inequality, and stares from community members, inaccessibility of public buildings and infrastructures is the one that receives the majority’s vote. "Sometimes only the little steps at the doorways could close all the doors to opportunities for PWDs," the survey concluded.

Making public buildings accessible for PWDs has just got its long-awaited attention in HCMC. In term of laws and regulations to support PWDs, there are a few noteworthy results. The first achievement was the Vietnam Law for People with Disabilities released in 2010, with a section specifically emphasizing the government’s responsibility for making public construction more accessible for PWDs. Three years later, in 2014, the Ministry of Construction took the next step when it issued the National Technical Regulation on Construction for Disabled Access to Buildings and Facilities. The applying scope was relatively large, ranging from bus stands, doorways, pavements, and exits to several public spaces.

Later on, district after district within HCMC followed by building branches of this network and creating their own sub-sites. While varying in design, these sub-sites retain similar main sections of administrative procedures, online public services, records searches, and most importantly, a place for public opinion. The differences and similarities make interesting comparisons among sub-sites, and provide an opportunity to learn which are the most effective elements for community participation.

Even so, what are decided in laws are often far from reality, especially when PWD-friendly constructions are often at odds with minimizing costs for contractors. In fact, still today, 87% of the buildings and facilities in central HCMC are evaluated as inaccessible for PWDs. Groups and organizations for PWDs have had to join in to make the laws take full effect.

Disability Research and Capacity Development (DRD) Vietnam, an organization "striving everyday to contribute [their] work to create a barrier-free society for people with disabilities," smartly chose public toilets to advocate for PWD accessibility. Their story began in 2014 when the HCMC government cooperated with Sacombank to pilot a number of five-star level public toilets in four main public parks of the city, which were proudly declared to be PWD-friendly. DRD organized a group of their members, among whom were people with different physical challenges, to try out the toilets and give feedback. Despite being free of charge and remarkably spotless, the toilets were in fact unfriendly for PWDs for a long list of reasons, including the following: too steep entrance making it dangerous for people on wheelchair; handrails not supporting the whole way; no Braille instruction for sight-impaired people; and more. DRD’s feedback for the five-star toilets made big headlines in the news, forcing redesigns.

Determined to not only point out errors, DRD also highlighted positive examples of PWD-friendly toilets in HCMC through creative video clips. One of their attention-catching clips featured the friendly toilets of Bitexco, the tallest building in HCMC, and humorously linked accessibility in construction to the hope and opportunity for PWDs.

In short, by tying their advocacy to everybody’s need for attention and by revealing the bigger meaning behind accessibility for PWDs, DRD attracted the public’s focus and has been a key catalyst in turning laws on paper into reality on the ground. Close.

Bangladesh’s transgender community seeks integration

Dhaka, 4 March 2016 — Lighthouse aims to provide HIV prevention services and foster more openness in the community for a hidden and marginalized population of Dhaka city – men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people (hijra). Even though it is a challenge to track these groups because the stigma attached keeps them distant from the society, this initiative has managed to reach a great number of people and has great potential for further success. See more.

Bangladesh’s transgender community seeks integration

Sumaiya Nehla Saif, Dhaka Community Manager

Dhaka, 4 March 2016

As development practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders surge forward to help lift the urban poor out of poverty, many marginalized groups go unnoticed, largely due to the stigma attached to them in this region. Focusing on the marginalized and stigmatized, Light House, an NGO operating in Bangladesh, works to provide HIV prevention services to men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender people, called hijra in Bengali – a huge challenge, primarily because they are a hidden population and society would much rather keep it that way.

Owing to the lack of reliable statistics and information on this population, the Government of Bangladesh took an initiative to find data on rough counts of MSM and transgender people, with both country-wide and division reports. The number, presumably underestimated, of MSM was found to be over 50,000 men in Dhaka. These statistics might show the target population to be a very small part of the total population but it needs greater attention from the government as well as non-state actors because we do not know how many more there are, hidden and suffering.

Light House acknowledges the low rates of condom usage in sexual accounts of this population, and the potential risk of the spread of HIV and AIDS to the entire population. Many of the MSMs are married and also have sex with their wives, which only widens the potential for the spread of infection – and to an unknowing population. The key component of the project is to select and train peer educators from the target population itself to make sure that the outreach is effective. This methodology also works to ensure their access to public health services, legal aid support and behavior change from society so that the impact of the project sustains, all in line with the National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS 2010-2015. Those who attended workshops and seminars were counseled and provided with condoms and much-needed sex education.

This month’s topic for urb.im, "Cities for All," is the underlying idea for the Providing HIV Prevention Services with MSM and Transgender (Hijra) in Bangladesh project by Light House – it aims to work for the better health of a hidden and underserved population and provide them with access to the basic health rights that they are entitled to, regardless of their sex, gender and occupation. This is a very challenging initiative because it is difficult to find and work with people who have accepted being ostracized from the society and locked themselves up behind doors. However, in light of all the global talk on human rights, this is much needed and has great potential.Close.

Inclusion of people with mental health disorders

Bangalore, 3 March 2016 — With a lack of knowledge of mental health disorders, the issues of identification and treatment of people affected are critical. APD India, a Bengaluru-based organization, is working towards integration and acceptance of people with these disabilities through their community health programs. See more.

Inclusion of people with mental health disorders

Aditi Hastak, Bangalore Community Manager

Bangalore, 3 March 2016

Disability is an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions either due to physical, mental, intellectual or sensory deficiencies, of which mental illness is the most challenging. Association of People with Disabilities (APD) engages with slums in Bengaluru and other small towns to identify, build capacity and attempt social integration of people with mental health disability.

In the state of Karnataka, it is estimated that over five million people are suffering from mental illness. "Considering that a considerable part of the population is affected by mental illness in varying degrees, our main objective should be to end the stigma attached to the condition. The next step is to advocate for treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation of the affected individuals," mentions the APD website.

The APD India works across several verticals of livelihoods, education, healthcare and advocacy to empower the people with disabilities (PWD). In the vertical of health care, mental health is an integral component. This type of disability is laden with stigma, neglect, isolation, abuse and, in some cases, traditional forms of treatment. On the other hand, the provision of healthcare services is minimal, with less than 700 healthcare professionals, doctors and social workers in Karnataka dealing with such type of disabilities.

Keeping in tandem with this gap, APD commenced a community mental health program in 2004. The program has been operational for more than 10 years now. The program started with 19 slums in Bangalore and then expanded to other districts within Karnataka like Davangere, Kolar, Chikballapur and Bijapur. Recent stats record that 1,137 people with mental disorders were identified and involved in the health program in 2013-14 and 947 in 2014-15.

The program operates at multiple levels, starting from identification. A primary survey of the location for at least four to five months to understand common problems and identify people with mental illness is conducted. The identified people are then directed to a suitable healthcare facility. Though it sounds straightforward, in reality the process is an arduous task of breaking barriers of traditional healers, stigmas and sometimes lack of willingness to receive treatment.

While working with individuals to improve the situation is on-going, engagement with communities and government agencies for capacity building is also happening. Social awareness through various means of plays, exhibitions and monthly meetings to interact with parents, caregivers and residential camps are just a few of the activities that APD conducts. The final phase is rehabilitation and social integration through regular counselling and appropriate livelihood training after their condition stabilizes.

The concern of livelihood opportunity is the last issue one thinks of, and the most difficult part is to identify people with such illness, make them and their families to accept this not as a "bad" thing but a disorder which can be corrected like any other. Another major factor that needs attention is the availability of experienced and specialized professionals in taking care of such cases. An article cites that out of the five years of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) education in India, only two weeks of clinical postings are dedicated to psychiatry. Both have to improve to adequately address mental illness issues. Close.

Instead of a parking lot, an organic cycle

Rio de Janeiro, 2 March 2016 — Following successful models launched in cities like Boston, San Francisco, and São Paulo, the urban mobility program for parklets now arrives in Rio de Janeiro, encouraged by a public policy and crowdfunding campaign. In addition to making the city more pleasant and welcoming, Rio's initiative has another goal: to integrate people from different backgrounds into a discussion on sustainability. See more.

Instead of a parking lot, an organic cycle

Andréa Azambuja, Rio de Janeiro Community Manager

Rio de Janeiro, 23 February 2016

Rio de Janeiro is marked by its extreme inequality. As stated by Luiz Cesar Ribeiro, a professor at the Institute of Research and Urban and Regional Planning (IPPUR / UFRJ), in a recent interview about the book "Rio de Janeiro: transformation in the urban order", this disparity has not undergone structural changes in recent decades, most likely thanks to a coalition of forces and interests founded on the circuits of urban accumulation.

To weaken the exclusionary mechanism, he points out that perhaps the only solution is to promote and spread citizenship – to encourage the involvement of social groups in policy, to promote interactions between the different layers of society, and to make services more democratic and, consequently, to form the basis of broader solidarity towards the problems of society. Fortunately, a significant portion of the population seems to have realized that this is the right way to go, and has been contributing to enacting it collaboratively.

Proof of this is Vaga Viva Ciclo Orgânico (in translation, Live Parking Lot – Organic Cycle), which proposes the construction of parklets – public spaces for leisure built on the site of parking lots. In the city, a project will begin soon thanks to a crowdfunding campaign through which more than R$37,000.00 was raised. As the name indicates, the goal goes beyond developing cozier streets: the idea is to create a complete cycle in which water, energy, organic matter, and solid waste can continually be renewed, thereby stimulating reflections about sustainability and the possibility of living in cities made for and by the people.

For this purpose, Vaga Viva parklets will have, in addition to street furniture and shade to passersby, compost, vertical garden, rainwater collection systems connected to an irrigation channel, solar panels to power LED lamps and a collection station for batteries and cell phones, among others. It will include explanatory circuits about how to make organic fertilizer and other processes that can be replicated at home.

The implementation of Vaga Viva Ciclo Orgânico marks the consolidation of Paradas Cariocas, a municipal program approved in May 2015 that stimulates the creation of parklets, according to an official release, aiming "to highlight the habit of gathering, the interaction between people and socializing in public spaces." Individuals and companies may request authorization to install them, thus becoming responsible for the installation, maintenance and removal of platforms. Regardless of the ruling, they must meet the demands of the population and have unrestricted access for all, 24 hours a day – limitations or visitor selection is illegal.

The new carioca policy is especially attractive to retailers to increase their space capacity and, consequently, profit. Relying on Vaga Viva and its network will also act as a potential tool to integrate people from different backgrounds around common interests, articulate dialogue, nurture connections, spread ideas on sustainability and stimulate horizontal occupation of the public environment. Close.

How skills training can create better cities

Lagos, 1 March 2016 — The economic opportunities embedded in Lagos have continued to attract migrants from across the country, leading to unemployment and urban poverty. There have been various initiatives focused on skill acquisition and vocational training targeted at empowering various segments of the society. These programs have great potential in improving the situation for all citizens and reducing urban poverty. See more.

How skills training can create better cities

Peter Adeyeye, Lagos Community Manager

Lagos, 1 March 2016

Lagos can be described as a microcosm of Nigeria, harbouring various cultures, faiths, orientation and the over 200 ethnic groups in the country. This diversity is predicated on the historical precedence of Lagos as the colonial seat of power and the first capital territory of Nigeria. Moreover, its geographical location along the coast with a commercial seaport opened up the city to various economic opportunities that served as a pull factor for migrants from across the country. With a current population of about 21 million, the challenges of meeting everyone’s need have led to mass poverty and unemployment across various strata.

In recognition of the critical role that empowerment programs plays in poverty alleviation and citizen’s empowerment – and in creating better cities for everyone – various actors in Lagos have been investing in vocational training and skill acquisition programs for varying segments of the society. A notable example of a project that is targeted at building the capacity of secondary school students is the Lagos Empowerment and Resource Network (LEARN), which aims to give these students the opportunity for continuous learning and mentorship. There are various programs designed to empower students that include career enlightenment programs, summer and after school lessons and skill acquisition programs that place students in Lagos state skill acquisition centres to acquire practical skills in such area as arts and crafts, catering and event decoration. The program is completely free of charge for students and only holds after school during academic session and extensively during the holiday. It sustains itself by calling on the larger community to volunteer their vocational skills and professional expertise in moulding the next generation of leaders.

The Lagos State Technical and Education Board (LASTVEB) in 2012 launched the Apprenticeship Training Program (ATP), which is a combination of two major programs: School Leaver Modern Apprenticeship Programme (SL-MATP) and Graduate Vocational Employability Skill Training Programme (GV-ESTP). The SL-MATP is an alternative route for school leavers to join the higher institution instead of the common University Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) they have to write. Admitted students are placed in any of the five technical schools within the city and have the opportunity of learning various skills. Similarly, the GV-ESTP is designed for graduates who need apprenticeship training and professional qualifications in various vocational subjects. They are normally placed in the government technical colleges, skill acquisition centers, vocational/youth centres and accredited training providers. Similarly, the State Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) was created in 1999 for the purpose of elevating the living standard of residents of Lagos with particular emphasis on all categories of women through economic empowerment and sustainable programs. It embarked on various empowerment programs that led to the introduction of 17 vocational skills centers across the city. WAPA also introduced other poverty reduction initiatives, such as micro-credit lending through micro-finance banks.

This series of empowerment programs have great potential for generating employment for many people within the city and thereby alleviating urban poverty. While the effort of these stakeholders are highly commendable, it is equally important for others to come on board in building capacities of other marginalized groups. Also, there is a need for follow-up with the candidates with further opportunities like seed funding, access to loan and micro-credit, equipment supply and helping them with business registration. These will reduce urban poverty and make Lagos more suitable for all. Close.

Join the discussion on Cities for All: Innovations for Greater Equitability in the comments below.

Join the discussion for this month's topic!

Comments

Hi Akriti ,
Great initiative by YV. I would like to ask how the staff members are paid to have such great educational programmes? Do they volunteer on part time base or they are full time staff .. I believe it is hard to keep the sustainability of the project if there is no remuneration at all for the staff members and teachers..
However, it is a real great initiative.

Dear Aditi,
Well written piece. Nice to see what APD is doing to ensure inclusion of these marginalized group. I am just wondering if the 50,000,000 figures of people with mental disability is not over bloated considering that the population of Karnataka was estimated at 64 million in 2014. Also, while many cases of mental health challenges can be a disability such as schizophrenia, other factors like depression and substance abuse can also be leading factors to mental health, I am assuming that the psycho-social support also targets these group. As cited the stigma attached to mental health disability inhibits many people from seeking appropriate medical help. Here in Lagos, the poor driving of some people along the high way it is difficult to tell if it is a case of mental health or 'survival' strategy but either way, it threatens human's lives. I am waiting for a time when a legislation that allows for mental screening test that will be conducted for drivers in the city on frequent basis will be passed. Thanks for sharing

Thank you everyone for the articles. They are all wonderful and i am honestly learn alot from the articles. I found it that some initiatives are very good but lack of political support or lack of capability from the implementer. I think we in development issue will understand that one single movement will not work without active collaboration from civil society, government and in some cases, private sectors.

I particularly interested in Maria Articles. It was very interesting to me as i could see the resemble in Jakarta. Can i ask further about what kind of work were these indigenous people usually do? and i hope you could provide me with some information if there is resistance during relocation process and what happen to their current job? are they happy with it? Thank you and great article Maria. Thank you.

Hi Peter, I agree that the empowerment programs for developing skills is a main strategy in order to improve the city. By this programs, youth will acquire the neccesary skills demanded by the local economy and professional market in order to connect supply and demand. However is there an specific strategy that links the youth of this programs with specific employers?

Dear María, thanks for your contribution. Just to stress that this programs are designed to empower these young people to start their businesses in a bid to empower them and generate further employment. The training are designed to give them that level of independence to start their personal enterprise, so what is more relevant to them is access to capital (seed funding and loans) as well as continuous mentorship and further training opportunities which an institute like Center for Entrepreneurial Develppment, Lagos is already doing.